Syrian Rebels Say They Captured Aleppo Air Base

Syrian Rebels Say They Captured Aleppo Air Base

After months of fighting, Syrian opposition forces said they managed to capture the strategic military air base situated about 40 miles from the city of Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city and commercial and economical center.

Jarrah air base was captured after what sources say was a 17-day siege, in which forces loyal to current president Bahsar Assad were cut off from any supplies.

The fighting at the airbase left 30 Syrian military forces dead while only 5 rebel fighters were killed. After the Jarrah base fell into opposition forces’ control it was bombed by Syrian warplanes, a tactic employed before, with most military objectives that were taken over by rebel forces.

Fighting continued in most regions of Syria, especially in Damascus where loyalist forces are trying to keep rebels out of the city center. Alos, In Idlib province, in the city of Maarat opposition forces are said to have decapitated a statue of Abul Ala al-Maarri, 10th century poet recognized for his forward thinking and pro free speech ideas.

Images of the captured airbase appeared to have shown disaffected fighter jets. The same reports say that rebel forces have found a vast supply of ammunition, heavy machineguns and even anti-aircraft weapons.

Fighting in and around Aleppo has been going on for close to 8 months, and has reduced vast areas of what was the commercial and economical heart of Syria to waste.

Posted by James Fried on Wednesday February 13 2013, 4:16 AM EST. Ref: LA Times. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0